Andrew Page, chief executive of The Restaurant Group, is retiring at the end of the summer.

Page, 55, joined what was then City Centre Restaurants 12 years ago and sold or closed chains including Caffe Uno, Est Est Est and Wok Wok. He kept Garfunkel’s and added Frankie & Benny’s, Chiquito and Coast to Coast. Page, who will stay as an adviser, was paid £1.7 million last year.

Orders leap despite a blip in January

Britain’s manufacturers suffered a January blip but still grew orders at the fastest pace since April 2011 in the past three months, the latest CBI’s quarterly industrial survey said.

The sector remains below its 2008 peak. Economics director Stephen Gifford said confidence had improved but added: “Now is not the time to relax and take our foot off the gas."

Stake sale joy for Republic founders

Three founders of content marketing agency Republic Publishing are in the money after marketing group Next Fifteen took a 51% stake in a likely seven-figure deal.

Republic made £400,000 on sales of £2.5 million last year. The Clerkenwell agency creates magazines and websites for clients such as O2 and Red Bull, which use editorial content rather than just advertising to reach customers.